\Norman Rockwell Museum examines the impact that one of the nation’s greatest image-makers had over its politics. "Presidents, Politics, and the Pen: The Influential Art of Thomas Nast" will be on view at the Museum from September 10 through December 4. An exhibition opening event will be held on Saturday, September 10, starting at 5:30 p.m., with remarks from contemporary political cartoonist Steve Brodner.

Autumn ’13 – Winter ’14 Award-winning illustrator Wendell Minor drew his way through childhood in Aurora, Illinois, inspired by America’s heartland and the richly–illustrated magazines that were so much a part of life at the time—from nature-themed favorites like Outdoor Life and Field & Stream to the vastly popular Saturday Evening Post. Determined to forge a career as an artist, he sold his beloved 1955 Chevy to pursue his studies at the Ringling School of […]

In recognition of this significant presidential election year in the United States, Norman Rockwell Museum has partnered with Google to share artworks and artifacts from its permanent collection that illustrate Norman Rockwell’s many commissioned presidential portraits. "Norman Rockwell: Presidential Elections Illustrated" presents Rockwell’s paintings, rarely seen studies, reference photos, and correspondence relating to presidential campaigns during the 1950s and 1960s.

Summer – Autumn 13

On December 21, 1937, visionary American animator Walt Disney enchanted audiences and made movie history when he premiered Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles, California. Though the film is widely appreciated today, until Snow White, no one had ever successfully produced a feature-length, cel-animated film.

Many outside of Disney’s studio thought the movie would flop, but he was confident in his vision, and meticulously guided […]

Istvan Banyai is mad. Not angry nor despondent, but mad in the transcendent sense. He is perpetually in a state of creative lunacy that only a gifted artist can achieve – if lucky. Banyai is possessed by many inspirations, what he calls “an organic combination of turn-of-the-century Viennese Retro, interjected with American pop, some European absurdity added for flavor, served on a cartoon-style color palette.” His signature sinuous linearity is at once […]

Inside theaters around the world this past summer, costumed-crusaders and perfectly-chiseled muscle men dominated the big screen: The Avengers; The Amazing Spider-Man; and Batman: The Dark Knight Rises all proved to be big box-office, paving the way for more. This showcase of superhero stamina is the perfect primer for Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross, opening November 10 at Norman Rockwell Museum. Long before Hollywood began […]

A connection to the visual traditions of the past, imbued with a deep sense of feeling, imagination and skill—this perfectly sums up the career (so far) of Raymond Kinstler, the next artist to be featured in Norman Rockwell Museum’s Distinguished Illustrator Series.

A native New Yorker, Kinstler was recognized early in life for his artistic talents. Supported by his parents, he was reminded by his father that it was a gift to […]

Join us in our galleries for a new exhibition tracing the dramatic story of escape and survival through almost eighty original artworks that have become classics of children’s literature. Curious George, the beloved irrepressible monkey of w and television fame is famous for his ability to “save the day.” Interpreting the role he played in safeguarding his creators in times of danger as symbolic, this exhibition recounts how this popular […]

Summer – Autumn 2011

Dogs do many things for us as they partner with us in our lives. They teach responsibility, provide companionship, and even become vital members of our families. We love our dogs for their personalities, as well as for their foibles.

Norman Rockwell’s dogs were not only part of his family’s life, they played an essential role in his illustrations from his earliest work and throughout his career. He often used the pets of […]

Historic Day in Vermont Following the renaming of Norman Rockwell’s New York City homesite (now “Norman Rockwell Place”) this past June, the artist’s West Arlington, Vermont home was officially declared a historic site for the state during this year’s Rockwell Models Reunion held on August 6, 2016. In addition to original models, former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas was present to make the declaration. Thanks to our friends/former Vermont neighbors Don Trachte, Jr. and Jim Edgerton (whose family […]

Stockbridge, MA, August 12, 2016—Norman Rockwell Museum will present the talk “From Atchison, Topeka To Altoids: Corporate Art Collecting in the United States” on Thursday, August 18, starting at 5:30 p.m. During […]

Norman Rockwell Museum To Present Talk on Corporate Art Collecting in the United StatesJulia Morneau2017-03-01T11:37:44-04:00

Norman Rockwell Museum Presents Screening of “Just Pals” This Friday Stockbridge, MA, August 8, 2016—Norman Rockwell Museum’s Friday Night at the Movies: A Rockwellian Film Series continues on Friday, August 12, starting at 5:30 p.m. with a screening of 1920’s Just Pals. One of director John Ford’s earliest surviving films,Just Pals features Western star Buck Jones as an out of work drifter who befriends an orphaned boy and follows their journey through a series […]

Stockbridge, MA, August 8, 2016—Norman Rockwell Museum will present a family day with illustrator James Warhola, nephew of artist Andy Warhol, on Saturday, August 13, from 1 to 5 p.m. Warhola, the illustrator of such children’s picture books as […]

Norman Rockwell Museum Presents A Tribute to Elvis Presley and Early Rock and Roll Stockbridge, MA, July 28, 2016—As part of its “Real or Imagined? Adventures in Visual Cultural” lecture and performance series, Norman Rockwell Museum will present a tribute to Elvis Presley and early rock and roll on Thursday, August 11, starting at 5:30 p.m. Meet Elvis impersonator Joe Borelli and his band, who will bring beloved songs by the “King of Rock […]

Norman Rockwell Museum Presents A Tribute to Elvis Presley and Early Rock and RollJulia Morneau2017-03-01T11:37:45-04:00

Stockbridge, MA, July 28, 2016—Artist and educator John Roman will present a workshop on panoramic drawing at Norman Rockwell Museum on Saturday, August 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will learn the secrets and history of panoramic drawing—wide-angle images that span 180 degrees—from the Renaissance to IMAX movies; Roman will demonstrate a simple method for creating your own panoramic […]

Norman Rockwell Museum Host Rockwell Models Reunion Stockbridge, MA, July 11, 2016—Throughout Norman Rockwell’s career, models played an important part in the development of his artwork. In 1916’s Boy with Baby Carriage, Rockwell’s first painting for The Saturday Evening Post, model Billy Paine was called on to portray all three boys in the humorous illustration and went on to pose for several additional covers during the artist’s early […]

Norman Rockwell Museum Celebrates The Opening of Rockwell and Realism in an Abstract World Stockbridge, MA, July 5, 2016—Norman Rockwell Museum will celebrate the opening of its newest exhibition Rockwell and Realism in the Abstract World,with a series of artist talks during the month of July.

On Sunday, July 10, starting at 5 p.m., the Museum will present “American Realist,” an evening with painter Bo Bartlett, whose work is featured in the exhibition. An American realist with […]

Norman Rockwell Museum Celebrates The Opening of Rockwell and Realism in an Abstract WorldJulia Morneau2017-03-01T11:37:46-04:00

Norman Rockwell Museum’s “Friday Night at the Movies” Debuts with The Grapes of Wrath Stockbridge, MA, July 6, 2016—This summer Norman Rockwell Museum will debut its new Friday Night at the Movies: A Rockwellian Film Series. Visitors are invited to this monthly series of classic films, which explore themes featured in Norman Rockwell’s paintings. Norman Rockwell Museum Curator Jesse Kowalski will introduce the films, providing context, followed by an audience Q&A. Refreshments will be […]

Norman Rockwell Museum’s “Friday Night at the Movies” Debuts with The Grapes of WrathJulia Morneau2017-03-01T11:37:46-04:00

Stockbridge, MA, July 21, 2016—Norman Rockwell Museum will present “Methods of the Golden Age Masters,” a week long art workshop with painter/illustrator Dan Howe, from Monday, July 25 through Friday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Howe, whose work is featured in the Museum’s new […]

Norman Rockwell Museum To Present Talk on Diversity, Perception, and Responsibility in Illustration Stockbridge, MA, July 1, 2016—Inspired by its newest exhibition, Rockwell and Realism in the Abstract World, Norman Rockwell Museum will present the talk “Diversity, Perception, and Responsibility in Illustration” on Thursday, July 7, starting at 5:30 p.m. Robyn Phillips-Pendleton, Associate Professor of Visual Communication at the University of Delaware, will examine blatant, subtle, or perceived racial stereotypes created by illustrators, sanctioned […]

Artists Robert Cottingham and Eric Forstmann, and Artists’ Representative Jane Eckert To Give Talk on Realism Stockbridge, MA, July 18, 2016—Inspired by its newest exhibition, Rockwell and Realism in the Abstract World, Norman Rockwell Museum will present “Realism and the Persistence of Memory,” a talk with painters Robert Cottingham and Eric Forstmann, and artists’ representative Jane Eckert, author, art historian, and founder of Eckert Fine Art, on Thursday, July 21, starting at 5:30 p.m. Featured […]

Norman Rockwell Museum Presents Home Run! An All-American Baseball Day Stockbridge, MA, June 28, 2016—Norman Rockwell Museum will celebrate the Fourth of July weekend with Home Run! An All-American Baseball Day on Saturday, July 2, from 1 to 5 p.m. Pay tribute to our national pastime and the artists who captured the excitement of the game during this afternoon family festival.

Starting at 1 p.m., meet former Major League Baseball pitcher Jonah Bayliss, current general […]

Norman Rockwell Museum Looks at Jackson Pollock and the Rise of Abstract Expressionism

Norman Rockwell painting Conneseur.
All Rights Reserved

Stockbridge, MA, July 22, 2016—In conjunction with its newest exhibitionRockwell and Realism in an Abstract World, Norman Rockwell Museum will present talks on the abstract expressionist movement during the week of July 24.

On Monday, July 25, starting at 5:30 p.m., the Museum will examine the work […]

Stockbridge, MA, July 19, 2016—Norman Rockwell Museum will present a special talk and print signing with award-winning author and illustrator David Macaulay on Saturday, July 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. A Caldecott Medalist and recipient of a prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, Macaulay is celebrated for such international best sellers as Cathedral and The Way Things Work, which help us understand […]

GOING AND COMING (1947)

Quick Pic Activities

Elementary/Early Childhood

1. Getting in Touch With Our Senses
Pretend you are standing somewhere in the painting—situated in the car or as a bystander watching it go by. Describe in detail what you can see, hear, smell, touch or taste from the location you chose

High School/Middle School

1. Make Rockwell’s Characters Talk
If two of the characters in Norman Rockwell’s Going and Coming painting […]

NEW IN TOWN (GRADES K-5)

Discuss segregation and civil rights as you explore Rockwell’s “New Kids in The Neighborhood”.

Painted in 1967, this illustration depicts suburban integration in Chicago’s Park Forrest community. As a vision of positive change and growing tolerance, the children appear as if they will soon play together.

STORY SPARKS: (GRADES K-5)

In this painting Rockwell tells the story of a little girl’s day by portraying small moments in her morning, afternoon, and night. It was created for the Saturday Evening Post and is a companion to Rockwell’s prior Post cover, Day in the Life of a Little Boy. Rockwell was known for his ability to capture emotion and tell a complete story within […]

GOSSIP (GRADES K-8)

Build writing skills and language skills as you speculate on what the characters in Rockwell’s The Gossips are talking about.

Rockwell had the idea for The Gossips for 20 years but couldn’t come up with the ending. Then he had the idea to picture himself as the subject of the gossips’ circle; suddenly he knew what to draw. He used his neighbors in Arlington, Vermont as the other figures in the painting. […]

GOING AND COMING (ELL)

Tell short stories inspired by Rockwell’s work.

This painting was done for “The Saturday Evening Post” and depicts a family before and after their summer vacation. Rockwell’s Post covers were intended to present a story that was easily “read” and understood by viewers. In this painting he uses two images within one picture to provide more detail and create a continuum of time. We see the “before” and the “after” of the […]

Rockwell was inspired to paint this scene after attending a town hall meeting. In the meeting a manual laborer stood up and voiced an opinion that everyone disagreed with. Rockwell was struck by the fact that no one shouted him down even though he did not agree with the majority. Rockwell felt this scene embodied the democratic process and was […]

FOUR FREEDOMS (GRADES: 6-12)

Discuss personal freedom as you explore Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms.”

In January 1941 President Roosevelt, shared with congress his vision for a postwar world founded on four fundamental human freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Inspired by his words, Rockwell created “Four Freedoms.” Originally published in the Post the paintings were a huge success and were later used to sell war bonds and stamps. The […]

BE A MODEL (GRADES K-8)

Build descriptive language skills as you pretend to be Norman Rockwell directing a model.

In paintings like this we can see that Norman Rockwell was really good at capturing the thoughts and feelings of children. To help him do this he had real children pose for his illustrations. Sometimes they had to stand for long periods of time in very uncomfortable poses. Later the job got a little bit easier. […]

AROUND THE TABLE (GRADES K-5)

Practice language associated with mealtime.

In January 1941 President Roosevelt, shared with congress his vision for a postwar world founded on four fundamental human freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Inspired by his words, Rockwell created “Four Freedoms.” Originally published in the Post the paintings were a huge success and were later used to sell war bonds and stamps. The Four […]

SMALL MOMENTS (GRADES K-5)

In this painting Rockwell tells the story of a little girl’s day by portraying small moments in her morning, afternoon, and night. It was created for the Post and is a companion to Rockwell’s prior Post cover, Day in the Life of a Little Boy [insert link]. Rockwell was known for his ability to tell a complete story within each of his images.

GOALS

First exposed at a young age to the American flagged superliner; SS United States, during his family’s emigration from Great Britain to the United States, Macaulay has returned, years later, to illustrate the ship and it’s builder, William Francis Gibbs, while incorporating his own family’s story into the overarching narrative.

Summer-Autumn 2010William Steig: Love & Laughter, by Stephanie Haboush Plunkett
As a child, William Steig (1907-2003) wished that he could run away to sea; and if the Great Depression hadn’t intervened, the acclaimed “King of Cartoons” may have done just that.

Winter-Spring 2010To Rockwell With Love: Fan Mail and The Saturday Evening Post, by Jessika DrmacichHistorical records are filled with references to well known people. Not until the 19th century, however, did the concept of celebrity explode in mass media. Unlike many other artists, Norman Rockwell was neither underappreciated nor unknown during his lifetime. As an illustrator for the widely disseminated Saturday Evening Post, he achieved celebrity status early and is still one […]

Summer 2009An American institution: Reflections on turning 40, by Laurie Norton Moffatt
From the very first day I set foot in the Old Corner House in 1977, I knew there was something special about the organization that was to become Norman Rockwell Museum. We did not call ourselves Norman Rockwell Museum then, but it was already apparent that that was how our visitors thought of us and spoke of us, and why they […]

Winter 2009And the Winner Is … America’s Highest Humanities Honor Bestowed on Norman Rockwell Museum
It was a day for rejoicing. On November 17, Laurie Norton Moffatt, Director/CEO, stepped up onto a platform at the White House and accepted the National Humanities Medal on behalf of Norman Rockwell Museum. President George W. Bush bestowed the honor during a special White House ceremony for arts and humanities medal winners. Norton Moffatt was joined at […]

Summer 2008Capturing Stockbridge, by Linda Szekely Pero
Without deliberately intending to do so, Norman Rockwell spent the last 25 years of his life chronicling the people and places of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. When Rockwell moved to Stockbridge in 1953, he immediately began hiring town residents to pose for his commissions. The treasure of images and records that document posing sessions resides within the archives of the Norman Rockwell Museum.Raw Nerve! The Political Art of […]

Summer 2007Ephemeral Beauty: Al Parker and the American Women’s Magazine, 1940-1960, by Stephanie Haboush PlunkettA founder of the modern glamour aesthetic, Alfred Charles Parker (1906-1985), defined the progressive look and feel of published imagery at a time of sweeping change, when Americans, emerging from the trials of economic depression and war, sought symbols of hope and redemption on the pages of our nation’s periodicals. His innovative modernist artworks created for mass-appeal women’s […]

Winter-Spring 2006From the Director, Laurie Norton Moffatt
It gives me enormous pleasure to announce the launch of a major new project at the Norman Rockwell Museum that will transform the accessibility of our Museum collections; advance research and understanding of Norman Rockwell’s work; preserve a unique archive of an important American artist; and link the Museum to major research centers and scholars around the world. This project has been recognized as a national […]

Autumn – Winter 2006Norman Rockwell, Year by Year: 1965, by Linda Szekely Pero
In 1965, two years after leaving The Saturday Evening Post as their most popular cover artist, Norman Rockwell, 71, was busy as ever. The Skippy Peanut Butter ads he had done for the 1963 Best Foods “Whispering Sweepstakes” had produced a winner. The prize was an original Rockwell portrait of the winner, and the winner turned out to be a […]

Summer 2005Rockwell’s New York, by Linda Szekely Pero
Although Norman Rockwell was born in New York City and lived in or near the city for the first 45 years of his life, only 11 of his 2,900 finished works picture New York. Being a generalist was a good idea for someone whose work needed to be relevant to as many people as possible.The Art of the New Yorker: Eighty Years in the VanguardAn […]

Autumn 2004Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay A Conversation with the Artist, by Stephanie Haboush PlunkettAn author and artist who has helped us to understand the working and origins of everything from simple gadgets to elaborate architectural structures, David Macaulay has an extraordinary gift for conveying complex concepts for the printed page within a social and historical context.Norman Rockwell, Year by Year: 1968, by Linda Szekely Pero
The first day of the […]

Autumn 2004 Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay A Conversation with the Artist, by Stephanie Haboush PlunkettJulia Morneau2016-08-10T13:06:21-04:00

Summer 2003Norman Rockwell, Year by Year: 1942, by Linda Pero
Vermont living, aside from an occasional Grange Hall square dance or town meeting,
provided few distractions for a work-centered artist such as Norn1an Rockwell. Few social or professional expectations, aside from the pleasurable evening cocktail hour with his Saturday Evening Post colleagues, Mead Schaeffer and Jack Atherton, dissuaded him from time at his easel. The relative solitude along with winter’s cold and shortened daylight […]

Spring 2003Norman Rockwell, Year by Year: 1912, by Linda Pero
1912 was full of change and new beginnings for Norman Rockwell. Tackling his assignments with the dedication that earned him the nickname “the Deacon,” Rockwell became one of the most promising students at the Art Students League.How Bare Walls Turned Into A Bear Exhibition, by David Leopold
As an independent curator, I have had the good fortune to work with institutions around the country […]

2002 issue 2John Held Jr. – Irreverent Chronicler of the Jazz Age, by Walt Reed
John Held, Jr. (1889-1958) was a complete artist with talents in many directions, all of which he employed at various times in his long career.Toast of the Town, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
Known as the Queen City of the Sound, New Rochelle, New York, a northern suburb of New York City, was one of America’s most popular enclaves for […]

2002 issue 1Charles Schulz – Master of Simplicity, by Jan Eliot
I first decided to contact Charles Schulz, whom I would later know as “Sparky,” in 1982. I had spent three years developing and publishing my first cartoon strip, Patience and Sarah, which featured a divorced single mom (Patience) and her precocious daughter (Sarah).Merrie Christmas, by Linda Pero
The museum has been fortunate to receive a gift of an original 1929 Saturday Evening […]

Spring 2001On Blackening My Father’s Name, by Peter Rockwell
People frequently do not like to have anyone mess with the image of someone they hold dear. I first became aware of this when doing portraits of children.Designing Small, by Howard E. PaineA stamp is only a tiny slip of paper, about one square inch in area, with a smudge of color and perhaps four or five typed words. It is framed by a […]

Winter 2001A Closer Look: The Making of James Gurney’s World of Dinosaurs Stamps, by Stephanie Plunkett
Mysterious and awe-inspiring, the first dinosaurs appeared around 236 million years ago in the Late Triassic period at the same time as crocodiles and turtles. Dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period. Their fossilized remains, which were first discovered in the early nineteenth century, offer a fascinating look at the […]

Winter 2001 A Closer Look: The Making of James Gurney’s World of Dinosaurs Stamps, by Stephanie PlunkettJulia Morneau2016-07-05T14:40:24-04:00

Autumn 2000Pushing the Envelope: The Art of the Postage Stamp, by Stephanie Plunkett
Despite their small scale and relatively discreet placement on the letters and packages that move throughout lives each day, postage stamps probably have greater communicative power per square inch than any other cultural artifact.The Spirit of Christmas, by Linda Pero
In this holiday season, visitors to the Norman Rockwell Museum will be treated to Norman Rockwell’s original paintings of scenes for […]

Autumn 2000 Pushing the Envelope: The Art of the Postage Stamp, by Stephanie PlunkettJulia Morneau2016-07-05T14:39:30-04:00

Summer 2000The Artist as Abstract Expressionist, by Linda Pero
The world of modern art seemed to be born out of the New York Armory Show of 1917, one year after Rockwell’s debut on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post with Boy with Baby Carriage. A fascination with modern art led Rockwell to Paris in 1932 to study art and experiment with new styles. Upon his return, he was told by Post editor […]

Spring 2000The Girl Rockwell Gave to Disney, by David Verzi
The original oil painting for the Saturday Evening Post cover of March 1, 1941, Girl Reading the Post, stands as a token of respect and friendship between two cultural icons- the 20th-century’s giants of animation and illustration. Norman Rockwell gave the painting to Walt Disney in 1943 during the illustrator’s brief residence in Alhambra, California. Rockwell inscribed the work, “To Walt Disney, one […]

Spring 2000 The Girl Rockwell Gave to Disney, by David VerziJulia Morneau2017-03-01T11:38:02-04:00

Winter 2000In Rockwell We Trust, by Linda Szekely
Michael Jordan gobbles down Ball Park franks, Paul Hogan drives his Subaru Outback over rough terrain, Jerry Seinfeld charges with American Express and country singer Alan Jackson sings the ballad of the Ford truck.The Post Boys, by Jan Cohn
The Post boy with a canvas bag slung over his shoulder was a determined lad on his way to earn pocket money for a bike, or perhaps […]

Winter 2000 In Rockwell We Trust, by Linda SzekelyJulia Morneau2016-07-05T14:37:50-04:00

Autumn 1999The People’s Painter, by Laurie Norton Moffatt
Norman Rockwell was the people’s artist. The public adored the work of this skilled storyteller. Rockwell received bagfuls of fan mail that applauded his finely honed sense of image-making. While many viewers stared bemused at Jackson Pollock’s dribbled paint and Picasso’s fractured shapes, the people understood Rockwell because he so clearly understood them.The Saturday Evening Post: What Americans Looked at Before TV, by Christopher Clarke-Hazlett, […]

Summer 1999Drew Struzan – Hollywood’s Illustrator, by Cris Raymond
Illustration art encompasses many formats. Books, advertisements, corporate logos, limited edition prints, CD covers and many other visual displays impress images on the minds of the public.
Perhaps the most fleeting of the thousands of images seen is that of the movie poster.

Spring 1999Hooray for Rockwell’s Hollywood, by Linda Szekely
Since Norman Rockwell was best-known for his magazine covers, people are surprised to hear that he also illustrated movie posters.Jarvis Rockwell’s World, by Cris Raymond
For twenty years, Jarvis Rockwell has been collecting small plastic toys and creating a whole new world of art with them. These figures, popular in every country, have become symbols of our times.

Autumn 1998Footlights and Fireflies Summer Theater as Seen by Hirschfeld, by David Leopold
Long after the curtain has fallen and the last ovation has subsided, the lasting image of the performance is often the one created not by the performers, but by Al Hirschfeld who has captured, with the aid of India ink and illustration board, the worlds of theater, film, dance, music, literature, and politics for almost the entire century.Studio Artifact Tells […]

Autumn 1998 Footlights and Fireflies Summer Theater as Seen by Hirschfeld, by David LeopoldJulia Morneau2017-03-01T11:38:02-04:00

Summer 1998Winslow Homer: Artist & Illustrator, by Wendy Lutz
Winslow Homer occupies a coveted place in the pantheon of American art. A prolific artist of remarkable versatility, Homer’s work spans over half a century.A Cultural Exploration of The Saturday Evening Post, by Christopher Clarke-Hazlett, PhD.
It’s easy to forget that for much of the 20th century, the Post came into American homes that had no TV sets or other similar visual distractions.

Spring 1998Changes and Challenges: Rockwell in the 1930s, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
The 1930s were a time of crisis and uncertainty in America. The collapse of the U.S. Stock Exchange on October 28, 1929 created a world economic crisis that reverberated through most of the coming decade. Tensions in Europe would explode into war by September 1939.A Move to the Country: Rockwell in Westchester, by Stephanie Plunkett
Although his images often betray a heartfelt […]

Winter 1998-99From Idea to Illustration, by Cris Raymond
The exhibition Visual Solutions is an exciting and informative look into the working process of seven illustrators. It demonstrates the process from the moment a commission is received to the final point when the artist sees his work published. We asked the seven illustrators to describe that quantum leap from idea to illustration.

Winter 1998-99 From Idea to Illustration, by Cris RaymondJulia Morneau2016-07-05T14:30:53-04:00

Summer 1997Family Ties: Rockwell’s Art for Family, Friends and Fun, by Maureen Hart HennesseyDuring a career that spanned seven decades, Norman Rockwell was extremely prolific, creating over 2,600 published illustrations and the many color and charcoal studies used to develop these final images. Relatively few Rockwell works were noncommissioned; even portraits of his family members and friends were sometimes done as illustrations for publication.Silent Wonder: The Paintings of Wendell Minor, by Stephanie […]

Spring 1997Going Once, Going Twice, SOLD!, by Laurie Norton Moffatt
To bidder number 301! Attending an auction is a thrill, a fast-paced drama where art revolves around the center stage, people revolve in and out the gallery door, and paddles, hands, and heads nod or nay at each incremental stage of the auctioneer’s bidding.My Father’s Paintings About Painting, by Peter Rockwell
From the point of view of both the general public and the art […]

Autumn 1996The International Reach of Norman Rockwell, by Laurie Norton Moffatt
Norman Rockwell may be America’s most beloved illustrator, but his reputation is spreading around the globe. The widespread interest in and the appreciation of the universal human emotions and family moments depicted in Rockwell’s work make his paintings an American ambassador to the world.Growing Up with Dick and Jane: Learning and Living the American Dream, by Carole Kismaric and Marvin HeifermanAt the […]

Autumn 1996 The International Reach of Norman Rockwell, by Laurie Norton MoffattJulia Morneau2016-08-10T14:18:08-04:00

Summer 1996A Magazine and Its Covers, by Jan Cohn
For over six decades, the Saturday Evening Post was one of America’s most popular magazines. Even today, older readers recall favorite writers, stories, and characters.Rockwell Paints the Candidates, by Bea Snyder
Although Norman Rockwell never did run for President, he did come in close contact with presidents and presidential candidates from 1952 to 1972, when he was commissioned to paint their portraits.Curator’s Corner, by Maureen […]

Summer 1996 A Magazine and Its Covers, by Jan CohnJulia Morneau2016-08-10T14:17:01-04:00

Spring 1996Norman Rockwell’s World of Scouting, by Maureen Hart HennesseyWhile it is true that Norman Rockwell is perhaps best known for his covers for The Saturday Evening Post, his calendar illustrations and other work for the Boy Scouts of America are almost as popular.Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
In 1914, when Norman Rockwell was just twenty years old and building a reputation as an illustrator for children’s and young people’s publications, he […]

Autumn 1995The Art of Enchantment, by Stephanie H. Plunkett
“Now the great thing about illustrating a classic is that it is alive. When you read it the scenes-character, setting, mood-jump right off the page, metamorphosed into pictures which are complete and perfect to the last detail…”Maxfield Parrish, by Linda Szekely
Maxfield Parrish, 1870-1966, was one of the most prominent and successful illustrators of the Golden Age of Illustration. This era, 1880 to 1920, was […]

Summer 1995Building an Art Collection, by Laurie Norton Moffatt
One of the most exciting moments for a museum director is adding more art to the collection! Museums celebrate the arrival of new paintings, objects, and photographs. They relate the story of our lives, and who better to tell the story of 20th-century America than Norman Rockwell? Norman Rockwell was the museum’s first art donor.Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennesey
The Norman Rockwell Museum is […]

Spring 1995Molly Punderson Rockwell, by Linda Szekely
Mary (Molly) Punderson was born in Stockbridge in 1896. She graduated from Williams High School and Radcliffe College, and, in 1921, joined Milton Academy where she taught English until her retirement in 1959.
Molly met Norman Rockwell while teaching a poetry class at the Lenox Library in 1961.A Centennial Celebration- Hometown USA, by Maureen Hart Hennesey
Norman Rockwell’s gift for portraying individuals and their relationships to their families, […]

Spring 1994Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennesey
Norman Rockwell considered the development of an idea for a cover story as probably the most important element of an illustration, and coming up with fresh ideas was one of the hardest parts of his work.An Astronaut & The Norman Rockwell Museum, by Bea Snyder
It is not because Story Musgrave is the veteran of five shuttle missions that hundreds of thousands of people make a pilgrimage […]

Summer 1994Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennesey
On January 24, 1994, The James Beard Foundation presented the Portrait of Felipe Rojas-Lombardi to The Norman Rockwell Museum. Although Norman Rockwell did not consider himself a portraitist, he was a master at capturing the expressions and emotions
of his characters.Howard Pyle and Norman Rockwell – Lasting Legacies, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
Howard Pyle (1853-1911) and Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) represent the best in American illustration, and were the […]

Autumn 1994Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennesey
While Norman Rockwell is best known for his magazine cover illustrations, advertising and other commercial art comprise the largest category of illustration work Rockwell created. During his long career, Rockwell worked for over 150 companies, and produced more than 800 advertisements, calendar illustrations, logos and mastheads.Art and World War II, by Philip B. Meggs
One can identify a society’s major concerns from its communication art. The raison […]

Autumn 1993Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennesey
Norman Rockwell’s process for creating an illustration included a number of steps as he progressed from getting the initial idea to sending the final oil painting to the editor or other client. For Rockwell, the pencil or charcoal drawing was a critical step in the development of an illustration.

Summer 1993Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennesey
Peter Rockwell, Norman Rockwell’s youngest son, is an internationally-known sculptor and teacher who lives in Rome, Italy. His work, both cast in bronze and carved in stone, is in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC; the National Cathedral in Washington, DC; and the Bridgeport Museum of American Art, Bridgeport, CT.A Closer Look at Norman Rockwell’s Studio, by Linda Szekely“Nothing else in the world, […]

Spring 1993A Dream Come True, by Laurie Norton Moffatt
On April 3, 1993, a decade-long dream comes true when the new Norman Rockwell museum opens. With the opening of the doors, the museum will have completed a long
journey-from origins in the charming, but modest, six-room Old Comer House museum to evolution into a full-service 36-acre museum complex.The Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge: A Brief History
The Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge is one of […]

Autumn 1992Artyfacts, by Kim Conley
The proliferation of tales with a medieval theme is one example of legendary storytelling which resonates throughout Western literature. Norman Rockwell was not unaffected by medieval archetypes.Rockwell’s Political Portraits, by Jim Farr
Between 1952 and 1972, Norman Rockwell painted every presidential candidate, and an election-year exhibition at the museum features seven of these images.Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
In the summer of 1960, Norman Rockwell took a sketch class […]

Summer 1992Museum Gathers Rockwell Recollections As Part Of Homecoming Year Celebration
Over the past nine months, museum staff gathered firsthand remembrances from people who knew Norman Rockwell.Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
One important step in Norman Rockwell’s process for creating an illustration was the color study.

Summer 1992 Museum Gathers Rockwell Recollections As Part Of Homecoming Year CelebrationJulia Morneau2016-07-05T14:13:27-04:00

Spring 1992Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
Norman Rockwell’s process for creating an illustration followed several steps, from the development of an idea through the final painting. One important component was the final charcoal or pencil drawing.Bill Langley: Rockwell Admirer and Illustrator
Often working under tight deadlines, he spends hours in his studio creating illustrations. He is meticulous, completing many preparatory steps before embarking on a finished color piece.

Autumn 1991Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
As a chronicler of American history, Norman Rockwell is best known for his illustrations of ordinary people in everyday situations. At the same time, he was in a unique position to portray major events in twentieth-century America and the people who helped shape our world.

Summer 1991Macaulay on Rockwell
When David Macaulay was a young lad, he dreamed of being an artist. Sometimes, after looking at a Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover or two, he even experimented with the signature he would use on his work one day … when he was famous. That signature bore a striking resemblance to Rockwell’s.

Autumn 1990Fitzpatricks Donate $250,000 to Museum
The board of trustees of The Norman Rockwell Museum is pleased to announce that a gallery in the new museum will be named for Senator and Mrs.John H. Fitzpatrick in honor of their contributions to the new facility, which total $250,000.Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
When planning an exhibit, it is frequently difficult to decide what to include and what to leave out.

Spring 1990Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
American museums have relied, throughout this century, on the generosity of individual and corporate donors who have supported a variety of programs-from exhibitions, to capital drives, to endowments

Winter 1989Hallmark Loans Holiday Pieces for Special Exhibition
Season’s Greetings From Norman Rockwell: Holiday Images from Hallmark Cards, a special exhibition of 11 original Rockwell paintings and two preliminary works commissioned by Hallmark Cards for its Christmas card series, brightened the holidays for museum visitors …Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
Of the more than 800 images Norman Rockwell created for advertising and commercial uses, the Christmas card illustrations produced for Hallmark Cards, Inc., […]

Summer 1989Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
Norman Rockwell’s 64-year association with the Boy Scouts of America resulted in some of his best-known illustrations – those of young Scouts in action, done for the Boy Scouts’ calendar.

Spring 1989Museum Exhibition Focuses on Rockwell Images of Blacks
One Nation Indivisible? Images of Black Americans: 1934-1967 By Norman Rockwell, an exhibition of Rockwell paintings, studies, tear sheets, and photographs that focus on the black American experience, dispels a commonly-held belief that Norman Rockwell was an illustrator of white middle-class life and nothing more.Rockwell Museum Turns Twenty!
June 1, 1989 marks the twentieth year of operation of The Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge.Curator’s Corner, […]

Summer-Autumn 1988She Came for a Visit and Stayed 16 Years
Margaret and John Batty had just retired from their jobs in St. Louis a year earlier, when they came to the Berkshires to relax and spend Christmas with their son in 1972.Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
Norman Rockwell’s use of friends and neighbors as models for his paintings is a well-known aspect of the illustrator’s workUnexpected Treasures Found in Photo Archives, by Barbara […]

Summer-Autumn 1988 She Came for a Visit and Stayed 16 YearsJulia Morneau2016-08-10T14:45:43-04:00

Spring 1988Robert A. M. Stern Wins Museum Gallery Competition
the firm of Robert A. M. Stern Architects of New York is the winner of the limited invitational competition conducted by the Museum to select the designer of the new gallery building.Curator’s Corner, by Maureen Hart Hennessey
This country’s bicentennial was celebrated in a variety of ways in 1976, all distinctly American.

Autumn 1987An Amazing Story: The Spielberg/Warner Communications Gift
Steven Spielberg, the renowned film producer and director, in conjunction with Warner Communications, Inc., has made a major donation to the capital campaign.

Summer 1987Rockwell’s Private Collection on Exhibit
A significant portion of Norman Rockwell’s private art collection, never before seen by the public, is on exhibit at the Museum.Curator’s Corner: Aunt Ella Takes a Trip, by Roger Reed
One of the pinnacles of Norman Rockwell’s career was his series of fiction illustrations from the ’30s and ’40s.

Winter 1987Curator’s Corner, by Laurie Norton Moffatt
Norman Rockwell touched the lives of the ordinary and the famous, and, though famous in his own right, was not immune to a case of the jitters when faced with the prospect of meeting America’s greatest citizens.

Summer 1985“Lost” Rockwell Painting Returns
Recently the William A. Farnsworth Library and Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, received as a bequest a Rockwell painting which this Museum quickly identified as an oil, it is “Tom Sawyer Whitewashes the Fence,” painted by Rockwell in 1936 for the Heritage Club Edition of Mark Twain’s classic.

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